St. Bonaventure - Love-Driven Theology in Union with God

Allow me to start this article with a 50-point essay question:

First, name, and then, compare and contrast the two angelic doctors of the Church in the medieval period, in regard to their theological and philosophical orientations.

Have you had this kind of question – if you have taken a theology course? If you were sitting in a theology class that I teach, you sure would have this question on your exam.

So, for the first part of your answer, you should name, St. Bonaventure and St. Thomas Aquinas. Both of them argued for the necessity of both faith and reason in their dialectical epistemology and heuristics, especially in getting to know God and disputing heretical views on God. Thus, both of them are considered to belong to the category of scholasticism. However, Bonaventure’s philosophical orientation was neplatonism, comparable to St. Augustine’s philosophical orientation in his theology, while St. Thomas Aquinas’ philosophical orientation was Aristotelian. Though both Bonaventure and Thomas Aquinas have different approaches (neoplatonism vs. Aristotelianism), they both emphasized to have a reason in dialogue with faith, to connect human life to God. Then, Bonaventure argued that theology is to give a reason and to inspire humans to love God so that our love for God will be in union with God’s love for us. On the other hand, Thomas Aquinas, as to implicate the Aristotelian concept of eudaimonia, theology is to orient us into the ultimate happiness and joy in our encounter with God. In a way, love that put us in union with God is emphasized in Bonaventure’s neoplatonism-oriented scholasticism theology, while happiness and joy in our encounter with God is weighed in Thomas Aquinas’ scholasticism theology with an Aristotelian orientation.

And you can write more on how Bonaventure’s scholasticism and Thomas Aquinas’ scholasticism are in regard to their commonalities, similarities, and differences.

I brought up the above exam question because today, July 15, is the memorial feast of St. Bonaventure (Giovanni di Fidanza), Franciscan theologian, an angelic doctor of the Church, often compared to another angelic doctor of the Church theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas (whose feast is January 28).

The Scripture Readings (Ephesians 3:14-19; Matthew 23:8-12) to honor the life of St. Bonaventure, really reflect him not only as a great teacher but also an eager student of theology and philosophy. But, St. Bonaventure himself regarded the greatest teacher of all is Christ, who is the master of all wisdoms and knowledge. Thus, he always remained to be an active student Christ the Parakletos (1 John 2:1), the Holy Spirit, another Parakletos (John 14:16), whom the Father has sent, as reflected in the First Reading (Ephesians 3:14-19), which has a Trinitarian implication.

In fact, the Father is the master teacher, who taught Christ the Son, before sending him and his incarnation, out of His love for him by showing His work (John 3:35; 5:20). Christ was sent to teach us what he had learned from the Father so that we can carry out the work of Christ upon his return to the Father (John 14:12). But, Christ has already completed his Paschal Mystery, from his incarnation at the Annunciation to his Ascension, through his Baptism, Transfiguration, Death, and Resurrection. He has already returned to the Father. So, how can we learn from our teacher, Christ, sent by the master teacher, who taught him, the Father?

No need to feel anxious about this, as Christ has promised to send another one like him, another Parakletos, namely, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16), is sent by the Father, upon his request, to continue his teaching – so that we will not forget what we have learned from him (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13-15). At the same time, the fact that we need another Parakletos, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16), in addition to the Parakletos, Christ (1 John 2:1), reminds us of our need to remain humble, no matter how learned we may think of ourselves or the world may regard us. It means that even though we may become and so regarded by the world as great teachers, upon completing rigorous academic trainings, like St. Bonaventure (as well as, St. Thomas Aquinas), we are to humbly remember that we are always students – because even great teachers need teachers, who are greater than them. And to Bonaventure, the ultimate and perpetual great teacher is God, as the Father sends the Son, the Parakletos, and the Holy Spirit, another Parakletos, to teach us what we need to know and understand, to be in union with Him in love, reflecting Christ’s prayer in John 17:20-23.

The humility that is necessary in teaching is reflected in the Gospel Reading (Matthew 23:8-12) to honor the life of St. Bonaventure.

Even though you are fortunate to have advanced degrees and regarded as qualified to teach, Jesus warns you not to be tempted to be called “rabbi”, which means “teacher”, or “master”, because you are among your students as brothers and sisters in Christ, in fellowship with him, who is the teacher and the master  (Matthew 23:8-10).

In fact, St. Bonaventure taught his fellow Franciscans against arrogance, which is a result of a lack of humility, explaining why the founder of the Franciscan order, St. Francis of Assisi emphasized this virtue. Because St. Francis of Assisi was also concerned that a reason could be abused by arrogance, the Franciscans were taught not to study and preach like philosophers, who argue. To this, St. Bonaventure taught his fellow Franciscans that reason was not to make arrogant argument but to make fruitful dialogues with faith, as reflected in his commentary of Peter Lomberd’s “The Four Books of Sentences”.  After all, for St. Bonaventure, humility is an aspect of love, as St. Paul has put (1 Corinthians 13:4; Ephesians 4:2), which also contrasts his neoplatonism scholasticism theology to St. Thomas Aquinas’ Aristotelian scholasticism theology with an emphasis on happiness and joy (eudaimonia).

As far as our motive to study and to teach theology is rooted in our love of God, as well as, love of others, reflecting on Christ’s great commandment (Matthew 22:35-40; cf. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 cf. Leviticus 19:18), we can put reason in dialogue with faith to unite our love with God’s love. And this is what characterizes St. Bonaventure’s teaching.  So, the below words from the First Reading (Ephesians 2:14-19) reflect this:

Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:17-19).

After all, God, whom we desire to be in union with, is love (1 John 4:8, 16). And, we are ready to give explanation and reason for our faith and in our defense of faith, as our faith is rooted in love, reflecting these words of St. Peter:

Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame (1 Peter 3:15-16).

So, in honoring St. Bonaventure, is your learning and teaching of theology, motivated by your love? Are you becoming humbler as you learn and teach theology as a way to unite us to God in love? And, are you humbly able to share your love-driven passion to learn and teach theology with others, giving a logical and gentle explanation, with a sound reason and compassion?